Audiobooks by Padma Venkatraman

All the Love Under the Vast Sky Audiobook

"Twelve short stories in verse by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the highs and lows of love - romantic, platonic, familial, and self-love. Love can be many things - all-consuming, fleeting, vengeful, selfless, toxic, uplifting, and always, a core part of the teen experience that leaves an indelible mark. This enchanting, genre-crossing anthology delivers something for every reader with unique characters, global settings, and a dazzling mixture of myth, historical, speculative, and contemporary fiction. With the turn of a page, get swept away by unexpected love blooming between two princes from enemy Mesoamerican nations in the 15th century, who'd rather make music rather than war; cheer for a timid bearded lady who was shunned by her family and runs away to find belonging and safety at the circus during the 1800s experience the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a beloved pet; breathlessly watch a myth unfold as a siren bound to the water falls in love with a winged forest spirit, their love seemingly impossible from the start. Root for a girl who emerges from grief and battles with chronic pain to discover how to love herself and life again. Love is complicated, and this anthology embraces the messiness and the joy of all kinds of love. Contributors include: - Alexandra Alessandri - David Bowles - Melanie Crowder - Margarita Engle - Eric Gansworth - Robin Gow - Mariama J. Lockington - Laura Ruby - Padma Venkatraman - Jasmine Warga - Charles Waters - Kip Wilson"

Alexandra Alessandri, Charles Waters, David Bowles, Eric Gansworth, Jasmine Warga, Kip Wilson, Laura Ruby, Margarita Engle, Mariama Lockington, Melanie Crowder, Padma Venkatraman, Robin Gow (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Safe Harbor

"An uplifting novel in verse about an immigrant girl adjusting to life in the US through her love of nature, music, and poetry, by the award-winning author of The Bridge Home When Geetha and her mom move from India to Rhode Island after her parents' divorce, they leave everything Geetha loves behind-her family, her friends, her dog, and all that's familiar. As if that's not hard enough, Geetha is bullied at her new school for her clothes, her food, and her English (who knew so many English words could be spelled or pronounced differently in the US-or just be altogether different!). She finds some solace in playing her flute and writing poetry, and even more when she meets Miguel, a kid with whom she has a lot in common, and the two of them help rescue an injured harp seal stranded on the beach. But Geetha can feel her anger building over lots of things-careless people who pollute the sea and hurt animals, and her mom for making her move. She's never been so sad and angry. She can see a lot of her fears mirrored in the injured seal when she visits it at the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, and this broadens her understanding of survival skills. And when she and Miguel start a beach-clean-up venture, she's surprised to find how many kind kids are out there. Geetha is torn as the time comes to let the seal go, knowing she'll miss him, but wanting the best for him. She's learning to live with mixed feelings and accept that while there will always be rough waters, there are plenty of safe harbors too."

Padma Venkatraman (Author), Padma Venkatraman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Born Behind Bars

"From the award-winning author of The Bridge Home comes a gripping novel about a boy who's released into the world after spending his whole life in jail with his mother-a remarkable celebration of the aching will to survive. "Borrowing elements of fable, it's told with a recurring sense of awe by a boy whom the world, for most of his life, has existed only in stories."-New York Times Book Review A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST MIDDLE GRADE BOOK OF THE CENTURY Kabir has been in jail since the day he was born, because his mom is serving time for a crime she didn't commit. He's never met his dad, so the only family he's got are their cellmates, and the only place he feels the least bit free is in the classroom, where his kind teacher regales him with stories of the wonders of the outside world. Then one day, a new warden arrives, and announces Kabir is too old to stay. He gets handed over to a long-lost 'uncle' who turns out to be a fraud and intends to sell Kabir. So ·Kabir does the only thing he can-he runs away as fast as his legs will take him. How does a boy with nowhere to go and no connections make his way? Fortunately, he befriends Rani, another street kid, and she takes him under her wing. But plotting their next move is hard-and fraught with danger-in a world that cares little for homeless, low caste children. This is not the world Kabir dreamed of-but he's discovered he's not the type to give up. Kabir is ready to show the world that he-and his mother-deserve a place in it."

Padma Venkatraman (Author), Padma Venkatraman (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Time to Dance

"A heartfelt contemporary story of a classical Indian dancer who will not let a prosthetic leg stop her from reclaiming the art form that has given her so much happiness. "A beautiful integration of art, religion, compassion, and connection."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review When you are driven by passion, nothing can get in your way. Veda is a prize-winning dancer, considered a prodigy in the fine art of traditional Indian Bharatanatyam. Then she is injured in a bus accident, and her right leg must be amputated below the knee. For a girl who's grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. Her dance teacher does not believe she will ever dance again. But Veda is too passionate to abandon her dream and finds a new teacher who shares her hope. And though she must relearn even the most basic of steps, his faith in her allows her to reclaim the art form that has brought her so much joy. Told through lyrical, evocative verse, this is a powerful novel of loss, recovery, and the resilience of the human spirit."

Padma Venkatraman (Author), Padma Venkatraman (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Bridge Home

"'Readers will be captivated by this beautifully written novel about young people who must use their instincts and grit to survive. Padma shares with us an unflinching peek into the reality millions of homeless children live every day but also infuses her story with hope and bravery that will inspire readers and stay with them long after turning the final page.'--Aisha Saeed, author of the New York Times Bestselling Amal Unbound Four determined homeless children make a life for themselves in Padma Venkatraman's stirring middle-grade debut. Life is harsh in Chennai's teeming streets, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter--and friendship--on an abandoned bridge. With two homeless boys, Muthi and Arul, the group forms a family of sorts. And while making a living scavenging the city's trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to laugh about and take pride in too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom."

Padma Venkatraman (Author), Padma Venkatraman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Climbing the Stairs

"Fifteen-year-old Vidya dreams of going to college- an unusual aspiration for a girl living in British occupied India during World War II. Then tragedy strikes, and Vidya and her brother are forced to move into a traditional household with their extended family, where women are meant to be married, not educated. Breaking the rules, Vidya finds refuge in her grandfather's library. But then her brother does something unthinkable, and Vidya's life becomes a whirlwind of political and personal complications. The question is, will she be strong enough to survive?"

Padma Venkatraman (Author), Sumeet Bharati (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by Padma Venkatraman

Join Our Community